Bolivia embraces democracy to put an end to fear

Bolivia embraces democracy to put an end to fear
Fecha de publicación: 
9 November 2020
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The event celebrating the return of democracy in Bolivia ended with cheers about unity. With the election of President Luis Arce and Vice President David Choquehuanca, both delivering speeches where restoring what was made wrong — by amending the destruction that coup plotters left behind for a year as they toppled former, legitimately elected President Evo Morales with the support of the army and the police as well as the connivance of the pro-imperialist OAS, after stealing the election characterized by transparency —, and promises to boost all sectors, were the core themes.  

All that was won back by the people was destroyed by a de facto regimen whose few remnants still rise up in areas of eastern Bolivia with the purpose of dividing the nation, while urging the army to perpetrate another coup against a government led by MAS (Movement towards Socialism), which got 55% of the votes and gained the majority in parliament.

It is no coincidence that nearly 5,000 miners accompanied the President in his inauguration, attended by top officials from Spain, Paraguay, Perú, Argentina and Colombia as well as chancellors from several nations such as Venezuela’s Jorge Arreaza.

Arce called to get rid of all inner evils enthroned by the de facto government; namely, racism, religious bigotry, and the despise for poor people, and urged to unity to face the Covid-19 pandemic, whose first response in this regard was taken four months after the disease was first detected in Bolivia.

After pointing out the need to combat the fear triggered by the actions carried out by the far-right, he highlighted his government will serve all Bolivians and will not hesitate to eradicate corruption and face the crisis left by the de facto regime, which saw how Bolivia’s economy shrunk by 19% and tripled unemployment.

LESSONS

In Bolivia, the people showed for the first time that usurpers — who shielded in the army, the corrupt domestic oligarchy, and the US imperialism — could be defeated in the elections.

Now comes a bigger challenge, to reach national unity to face an economic and social reconstruction.

The destruction of Bolivia and the rejection of a mostly indigenous population were so big that racist de facto President had to acknowledge the sweeping electoral win in the first round.

Few months were enough for the unpopular administration to drive back the economy of a nation that under Evo Morales had grown far more than any other country in the region. Such administration also drove into a great debt after receiving loans from the FMI and other entities that usually collaborate with elements related to the “vulture funds.”

Unemployment, extreme poverty, the severe hardship suffered by millions of Bolivian citizens — most of them indigenous people —, were not enough for a regime complicit of a blatant robbery, still unpunished, as well as guilty of 8,000+ deaths caused by Covid-19. In this line, the woman President authorized the purchase of supplies four months late, when she was infected with the disease along with other ministers and aides.

It is being said the country must be rebuilt with the help of all Bolivians. But, in fact, it remains to be seen whether they will accept the help of those who ordered and participated in the slaughtering of indigenous people, imprisoned Evo Morales’ supporters, hunted and set fire to their relatives and some of Evo’s ministers houses, while paramilitaries beat up indigenous women known as polleras-women.

The radical-right Camacho, who finished third in the presidential ballots, far behind Mesa and of course, Arce, is now calling to insubordination and reject the results. To do so, he is encouraging disobedience in three departments.

Camacho, I believe, must have had close ties with the anti-Cuban opposition based in Miami because he asked for a three-days hunt to erase those against him when the coup against Evo occurred, similar to what some anti-Cubans planned to do if the Bay of Pigs invasion to topple the Revolutionary government led by Fidel Castro had succeeded.

And it is good to bring up this situation because there is a three-months agreement with which those involved in the coup defeated in the ballots cannot flee Bolivia.

The relevant chapter would involve the Heads of the Army and the Police who connived with the empire to force Evo to flee Bolivia, with the implicit threat of a bloodshed.

Translated by Sergio A. Paneque Díaz / CubaSí Translation Staff

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